Arranging and counting apparatus



June 4, 1968 R. s. GILBERT 3,386,518

ARRANGING AND COUNTING APPARATUS Filed April 10, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FlG. 1

88"- |Q4 INVENTOR. v RICHARD s. GILBERT BY ll FlG 5 90 U] ATTORNEYS June 4, 1968 R. s. GILBERT 3,386,618

ARRANGING AND COUNTING APPARATUS Filed April 10, 1967 J 3 Sheets-Sheet I J) H468 J Q as 46 Q 48 4 72 V 8 Q J 1 4 56 F lG ..2

INVENTOR. RICHARD Sv GILBERT BY I02 mw ll/ di g 6-3 ATTORNEYS June 4, 1968 R. s. GILBERT 3,386,618

ARRANGING AND COUNTING APPARATUS Filed April 10, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 O6 AMPLIFIER '08 RELAY PRESETTABLE |lO-- COUNTER 2 I04 F I [\1] GATE SOLENOID START ACTUATOR R H INVENTOR C ARD S. GILBERT BUTTON I GAiE BY 88 W W. V

AT TORNEYS United States Patent M 3,386,613 ARRANGING AND COUNTING APPARATUS Richard S. Gilbert, 170-13 Sotoyomc St,

Santa Rosa, Calif. 95405 Filed Apr. 1a, 1967, $81. No. 629,558 9 Qlaims. (Cl. 221-12) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for arranging objects into single file which includes a rotating bowl into which the objects are placed, the bowl having an intermediate annular flat surface portion therein between its top and bottom designed to carry only a single row of objects, and which also includes a stationary guide which carries the objects riding along with the rotating bowl up the inside surface of the bowl and onto the substantially flat surface portion, the objects carried by other objects above the substantially fiat surface portion being urged under their own weight onto the fiat surface portion whereby the carrying objects may be urged off the substantially flat surface portion and down into the bottom of the bowl after they have traveled past the end of the stationary guide, allowing some of the objects to remain on the substantially fiat surface and subsequently be urged up the second inclined surface.

This invention relates to apparatus for arranging objects in a single file, and more particularly, to apparatus which includes a bowl having an annular substantially flat inner surface portion intermediate its top and bottom designed to carry only a single row of objects.

Background 07 the invention Devices which arrange objects into single file are adaptable to a variety of uses, one of the most important being in conjunction with means for counting the objects so arranged. A device of this sort is particularly of use to a pharmacist who wishes to count out a certain number of pills or capsules, the use of such a device freeing the pharmacist to devote his valuable time to those tasks for which he is specially trained.

It is well known that regardless of the type of counting apparatus used (Whether mechanical or electrical) the objects to be counted must be arranged in single file before being presented thereto. This is so because objects which are side-by-side will be sensed by the counting apparatus as a single object, thereby giving a false count.

Devices which purport to arrange articles in single file are known (for example, Craig, 3,133,624; Lewis, 2,065,319; and Howells, 3,027,698), but these devices depend on a slow-feed of objects thereinto, it being clear that if objects are fed at any greater rate, jamming will occur. Thus, this type of device requires some sort of feed mechanism, usually quite complicated, which will introduce objects at a very slow rate.

Other devices, such as Miller, 2,941,652, depend on an obstruction such as a membrane which allows only a single object to pass therethrough at a time. But this sort of device is obviously complicated and susceptible to jamming, and furthermore, the membrane must of necessity be quite delicate to allow small, light objects, such as pills, to pass through. Thus, the membrane is not particularly sturdy, and it also may be necessary to use a variety of membranes, depending on the shape or size of the objects involved.

One known device (Medoff et al., 3,145,875) has a series of pockets formed so that each receives one object therein. But it is clear that only one shape of object can be seated therein, and thus, the device cannot be used in conjunction with objects of various sizes and shapes.

Patented June 4, 1968 Applicant overcomes the above disadvantages by providing a device which is adapted to arrange objects into a single file, and into which the objects to be so arranged can be placed together without fear of jamming, there being no requirement of slow feed.

Furthermore, the invention is capable of arranging objects of various sizes into single file without alteration thereto.

Summary of the invention Broadly stated, the apparatus for arranging a group of objects in a single file comprises a bowl adapted to hold the objects placed therein. The bowl has therein a first annular inclined surface portion adjacent its bottom, a second annular inclined surface portion adjacent its outer pe riphery, and an annular substantially flat surface portion intermediate and interconnecting the first and second inciined surface portions, the annular substantially flat surface portion being of width sufficient to carry only a single row of objects thereon. Means are included for rotating the bowl about its axis, the inner surface being adapted to carry the objects therewith as the bowl is rotated. Stationary means are provided to guide the objects from the bottom up the first inclined surface portion and onto the substantially flat surface portion as the bowl rotates, the second inclined surface being of sufiicient incline to insure that objects carried above the substantially fiat surface portion by other objects are urged under their own weight onto the substantially flat surface portion, whereby objects carried by the substantially fiat surface portion may be urged onto the first inclined surface portion after having travelled past the stationary guide means, the substantially flat surface portion thereby carrying a single file of objects with no object being carried by the second inclined surface portion.

Brief description 0 the drawings These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

H6. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a plan view partially broken away of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a detailed plan view of a portion of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the sensing plate and gate of the device; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the device for counting objects which exit from the apparatus and for operating the gate.

Description of the preferred embodiment As best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the apparatus for arranging objects, such as pills, into a single file so that they may be counted is shown generally at 10. A base 12 has an aperture 14 therein into which a sleeve 16 extending from a bottom face 20 of a ball bearing 18 is placed. The bottom face 20 of the ball bearing 18 rests on the base 12 and a circular plate 24 rests on the top face 22. The plate 24 has an aperture in its center which is coaxial with the aperture 14. The bottom face 26 of a second ball bearing 28 rests on the top of the plate 24, the aperture of the second ball bearing being coaxial with the aperture 14 in the base 12. Disposed on the top face 3t of bearing 28 is a bowl 32 having an aperture 34 coaxial with the aperture 14. A shaft 36 extends through the aperture 34 in the bowl 32 and is fixed to the bowl 32 adjacent its bottom portion 40. The shaft 36 is 1'0- tatably disposed through the apertures of ball bearing 28, plate 24, ball bearing 18 and sleeve 16 of ball bearing 18, the opposite end of the shaft 36 being rotatably supported by a bearing 38. Thus, the bowl 32 and plate 24 are rotatable independent of each other, and the bowl 32 is rotatable about its axis by means of the shaft 36'.

The bowl 32- has a first annular inclined surface portion 42 extending up from the bottom portion 40. A second annular inclined surface portion 44 is adjacent the circular outer periphery of the bowl 32, and intermediate and interconnecting the first and second inclined surface portions 42 and 44 is a substantially flat annular surface portion 46 which is of width sufficient to support only one row or file of pills (or other objects) thereon. A series of ribs 48 are formed inside the bowl 332 on the first and second inclined surface portions 42 and 44.

Fixed to rotatable plate 24 adjacent its outer periphery are support blocks 50 which act to support and hold an annular element 52. The inner periphery of the annular element 52 is in close proximity to the outer eriphery of the bowl 32, as best shown in FIG. 2. The annular element 52 is thus rotatable about its axis along with the plate 24, and the bowl 32 and annular element 52 are rotatable independent of each other, being so arranged that the inner periphery of annular element 52 remains in close proximity to the outer periphery of the bowl 32 as either or both rotate.

Means (not shown) such as an electric motor are included for rotating the bowl 32 at a slow rate through a series of belts and pulleys or gears 54. Means (not shown) are also included for rotating the annular element 52 in the same direction as bowl 32 but at a substantially greater rate than the rate of rotation of the bowl 32.

Fixed to the base 12 and surrounding the circular outer periphery of the annular element 52 and in close proximity thereto is a cylindrical wall 56. A disc 58 rests on the top of the cylindrical wall 56. Small flanges 58a fixed to the disc 58 on its under surface adjacent its outer periphery fit against the inner surface of the cylindrical wall 56 to hold the disc 58 thereon. One flange &2 also acts in conjunction with a flange 60 to limit the rotation of the disc 58 relative to the cylindrical wall 56.

An extension 62 is adapted to fit over the end of shaft 36 while allowing the shaft to rotate relative to it. The extension 62 is connected in a substantially rigid manner to disc 58 by means of rod 64 and block 66 so that the extension 62 is stationary when the bowl 32 and annular element 52 are rotated. Fixed to the extension 62 is a substantially spiral-shaped first guide 68, as best shown in FIG. 2. This first guide 68 spirals out over the bottom portion 40 of the bowl 32 and up the first inclined portion 42 to the substantially flat surface portion 46. The first guide '68 then dropes back onto the first inclined surface portion 42.

Also rigidly connected to the extension 62 by means of supports 70 is a second guide 72 (FIG. 2) which runs from the inner edge of the substantially flat surface portion 46 up to the edge of the bowl 32. The disc 58 has a large aperture 74 adapted to receive a cover 76 thereon which is weighted by means of a metal knob 78. A vibrator 80 is attached to the shaft 36 adjacent its bottom to slightly vibrate the bowl 32 as it rotates.

As will be seen in FIG. 4, the top surface 52a of the annular element 52 slopes downward from its inner edge to its outer edge. Fixed on that surface 52a are a series of radial members 82 which extend from the outer edge of the surface 52a to a point approximately halfway up the slope. Fixed to the innermost portion of each radial member 82 is a rubber member 84 which extends to the inner edge of the annular member 52, but which is not fixed to its surface 52a.

The wall 56 has an opening 86 which is adjacent a gate 88 mounted on a rotatable rod 90. A spring 92 acts on a lever 94 on the end of rod 90 to bias the gate 88 in the position shown in FIG. 3, allowing an open path through opening 86 and chute 96. A solenoid 98 is connected through a lever 100 to the rod 90 so that when the solenoid 98 is actuated, the gate 88 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 2, closing the path through the chute 96 and leaving open only the path through opening 86 and chute 102. The gate 88 has mounted on its face a sensing plate 194- which, when struck with an object, acts through an amplifier 166 to actuate a relay 108. The relay 108 works in conjunction with a presettable counter 110 of any well-known type, and when a preselected number of objects has struck the sensing plate 1%, the solenoid 98, which had been actuated to hold the gate 88 in the position shown in FIG. 2, will be de-actuated and the gate 88 will move to the position shown in FIG. 3. A simplified schematic diagram of this system is shown in FIG. 6.

In the operation of the apparatus, the bowl 32 is made to rotate at a very slow rate, the annular element 52 is made to rotate in the same direction at an appreciably faster rate, and the first and second guides 68 and 72 are held stationary, all as described above. The counter 110 is set to a selected number of pills to be separated and counted and the solenoid 98 is actuated by means of start button 112 to pre-set the gate 88 in the position shown in FIG, 2. The cover 76 is then removed and a large quantity of pills 114 is dumped into the bottom portion 49 of the bowl 32. The pills 114 move along with the bowl 32 as it rotates, the ribs 43 aiding in this movement. As the bowl rotates, pills 114 will be carried by the guide 68 across the bottom portion 40 of the bowl 32, up the first inclined surface portion 42, and onto the substantially flat surface portion 46. As may well be the case, pills 114 which are in direct contact with the guide 68 may carry other pills 114- on them, so that in effect there is a doubling-up of the pills 114. Thus, the pills 114 which are in contact with the guide 63 will be guided onto the substantially fiat surface portion 46, and the pills 114 carried by those pills 114, i.e., the doubled-up pills 114, will be carried by them onto the second inclined surface portion 44. The second inclined surface portion 44 is of sufficient incline to insure that the pills 114 thereon are urged by their own weight down onto the substantially flat surface portion 46. The doubled-up pills 114 may thus act under their own weight to squeeze in between and separate two pills 114 already seated on the substantially fiat surface portion 46, but more often, since the substantially flat surface portion 46 is wide enough to support only a single row of pills 114, the weight of the doubled-up pills 114 will act to push pills 114 already carried by the substantially flat surface portion 46 off that surface portion and onto the first inclined surface portion 42 when they have travelled to the point where the guide 68 drops back toward the bottom of the bowl 32. That portion of the guide 68 which drops back toward the bottom of the bowl 32 also acts to keep the large group of pills 114 in toward the bottom of the bowl 32 at that point to insure tht there is sufficient room to allow those pills 114 to so be pushed off.

It thus results that no pills 114 are carried by the sec ond inclined surface portion, and the substantially flat surface portion carries but a single row of pills 114. The vibrator acts to induce the above process.

The single row of pills 114 is then carried up the second inclined surface portion 44 as the bowl 32 rotates by the second guide 72 which further carries the pills 114 over the outer periphery of the bowl 32 and onto the surface 52a of the rotating annular element 52. The rubber members 34 act to flip the pills 114 along the surface 52a, the pills 114 then being carried :by the radial members 82, the centrifugal force of the pills 114 and the slope of the surface 52a acting to urge the pills 114 against the cylindrical wall 56 as they are carried thereby. The spacing of the radial members 82 and the rates of rotation of the bowl 32 and annular element 52 are such that no radial member 82 carries more than one pill 114, this being quite feasible if the rate of rotation of the annular element 52 is substantially greater than the rate of rotation of the bowl 32.

Each pill 114 is carried by the annular element 52 until it reaches opening 86, and exits therethrough under its own centrifugal force.

As seen in FIG. 2, each pill strikes the sensing plate 104 mounted on gate 88 and, acting through amplifier 106 and relay 1W8, registers one count on the counter 110. Each of these pills, it is seen, bounces off the sensing plate 104 and passes through chute 102 and into receptacle 116. When the selected number of counts have been registered on the counter 110, the counter 110 deactuates the solenoid 98 and the spring 92 acts to move the gate 88 to the position shown in FIG. 3, as described above. It is seen that the pills 114 passing through opening 86 travel past the gate 88, through chute 96, and into the receptacle 118. Thus, the selected number of pills is deposited in the receptacle 116, and the apparatus continues to operate until all excess pills 114 are deposited in receptacle 118, leaving the apparatus ready for use again with no necessity of removing the pills 114 therefrom manually.

It has been found that, within reasonable limits, the apparatus effectively arranges objects of a variety of sizes into a single file so that they may be counted, and can be used for arranging capsules, both relatively large and small pills, oddly shaped objects, and the like.

Thus, a device has been disclosed which effectively arranges objects into a single file for counting and the like. Moreover, no feed mechanism of any kind is required, the machine being designed to function when a relatively large quantity of objects is simply deposited in the bowl. Furthermore, it is seen that there is no possibility of jamming of the apparatus, and that the apparatus is capable of effectively arranging a variety of sizes and configurations of objects into a single file without alteration of its structure. The apparatus also has the advantage of being self-cleaning, i.e., it deposits the chosen number of objects into a first receptacle and then deposits the excess into a second receptacle. The second receptacle can then be removed from the apparatus and the excess can then be conveniently returned to its original group.

Obviously, the principle of the invention is applicable in a variety of ways, and I therefore do not desire to be limited by the embodiment shown and described, but rather only by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for arranging a group of objects in single file comprising (a) a bowl adapted to hold the objects placed therein,

and having therein (i) a first annular inclined surface portion adjacent its bottom;

(ii) a second annular inclined surface portion adjacent its outer periphery;

(iii) an annular substantially flat surface portion intermediate and interconnecting the first and second inclined surface portions and of width sufficient to carry only a single row of objects thereon;

(b) means for rotating the bowl about its axis, the inner surface being adapted to carry the objects therewith as, the bowl is rotated; and

(c) stationary means provided to guide the objects from the bottom up the first inclined surface portion and onto the substantially flat surface portion as the bowl rotates, the second inclined surface portion being of sufficient incline to insure that objects carried above the substantially flat surface portion and onto the second inclined surface portion by other objects are urged under their own weight onto the substantially flat surface portion, whereby objects carried by the substantially flat surface portion may be urged back onto the first inclined surface portion after having travelled past the stationary means, the substantially fiat surface portion thereby carrying a single file of objects with no object being carried by the second inclined surface portion.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein is included second stationary means provided to guide the single file of objects from the substantially fiat surface portion up the second inclined surface portion and over the outer periphery of the bowl as the bowl rotates.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the bowl has a substantially circular outer periphery, and wherein is included (a) an annular element rotatable about its axis, the inner periphery of which is in close proximity to the outer periphery of the bowl so that objects guided over the outer periphery of the bowl are guided onto the annular element, the annular element being adapted to carry the objects therewith as it rotates, the objects being urged toward the outer edge of the annular element under their centrifugal force as it rotates;

(b) means for rotating the annular element about its axis at a rate greater than the rate of rotation of the bowl;

(c) means for limiting the movement of the objects carried by the rotating annular element under their centrifugal force to keep said objects on the rotating annular element; and

(d) means for allowing the objects to leave the rotating annular element under their centrifugal force only at a selected point of their travel.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein are included means for counting the objects which leave the rotating annular element at the selected point of their travel.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein are included means for vibrating the bowl to induce those objects carried above the substantially flat surface portion by other objects onto the substantially flat surface portion.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein ribs are formed in the bowl to carry the objects therewith as the bowl is rotated.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the annular element is rotated at a rate substantially greater than the rate of rotation of the bowl, and wherein the annular element includes radial members on its surface perpendicular to the surface which carry the objects therewith as it rotates, the rate of rotation of the bowl and annular element and the spacing of the radial members being arranged so that no radial member carries more than one element.

8. Apparatus according to claim '7 wherein is included a gate adapted to cooperate with the counting means to channel a selected number of objects leaving the rotating annular element into a first receptacle and to channel the surplus objects leaving the rotating annular element into a second receptacle when the selected number of objects have been counted and channeled into the first receptacle.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the rate of rotation of the bowl and rate of rotation of the annular element are variable relative to each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,282,464 ll/1966 Kohl et al. 221-475 X 3,326,223 6/1967 Ochi 133-8 STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner. 

